As told to Arvin by his mother, Hazel:

"When we were ready to move out west in early 1941, Adolph bought a swing out, pull-behind trailer home.  You could swing up a wing and make a bed on each side of the trailer when you were parked.  Then, when you were moving or driving along the road, it was folded down in again.  That's where we slept and stayed that summer.  It was parked in the trees at Ragnar Slaaen's.  Arvin and Alden helped Dagmar pick eggs over the summer (except for those being hatched, as the mother hen ran them off).  We left that fall, and went west with Iver Slaaen (another of Adolph's cousins) and his family.

Iver went west as he had asthma in North Dakota, and wanted to try a different climate.  He wanted to look for work out there, too.  He and Adolph had always gotten along well (Adolph was one day older). We decided to go at the same time for company!"

[They stopped first in Washington and Portland, Oregon, but left for a small town in California after Christmas because WWII had begun and Portland was too much of a target.]

"All of a sudden, we were at war with Japan...I don't remember exactly how Adolph heard about a job in Cotati, CA.  It was early January 1942, the war had just gotten started, and trained, able-bodied people were in demand.  He got a job running the garage for a fellow and his wife, Nels and Milly Hammer.  Nels was Norwegian, too. They had the garage, gas station, and what we would call a convenience store today, with food, snacks, some groceries, etc."

Adolph managed the garage, did repairs, tune-ups, overhauls, etc. We rented one of the larger cabins - with kitchen, bedroom, living room, bath/utility room - in a court next to the filling station and garage complex.  The living room had a couch that made into a bed and Arvin, Alden and Charles slept there.  Arvin went into the first grade again at Cotati school, and Alden (age 4) and Charles (age 2) stayed at home with me in our cabin.  The cabin had natural gas for heat and hot water.  It also had the first shower we ever had, and Charles was scared of it and wouldn't use it.  He was used to a tub.

Adolph got dirty and greasy coveralls from working on the cars, trucks and engines he repaired.  One thing we'll always remember is one Sunday in January 1942.  I was going to go over to Milly Hammer's to visit.  Alden and Charles were going with me and Arvin was going to stay with his Dad.  Adolph had gotten his coveralls very dirty and greasy.  He took regular gas from work, washed out his coveralls, then brought them into the bath/utility room to wash them.  We were all in the bath/utility room while he was running hot water into the machine to wash them out in soap and water.

The wet gas in the coveralls apparently vaporized quickly in the warm room, so when the pilot light ignited the hot water heater burner to make more hot water, the gas caused the room to explode into fire.  I grabbed Alden and Charles and finally got out of the room into the back of the house.  Adolph found his way out through the front door, and Arvin tried to climb up onto the toilet to a high, small window before he realized he couldn't get through it and made his way out the back, too.

In the meantime, Adolph broke loose from bystanders and went back into the cabin through the screen door to get Arvin out.  About the same time, someone heard that Arvin was safe, so they pulled Adolph back out of the house.

I had long synthetic stockings on, and they apparently held the heat to my legs, as they melted right to my skin.  Alden and Charles each had a blister or two. Arvin had hand and face burns, especially on his right hand [The back of Arvin's right hand was scarred throughout his life]. Adolph's arms were burned, and when he went through the screen door, it really ripped up the burnt skin on them.  Adolph and I also had hand and facial burns, too, but my legs and Adolph's arms were the worst.

We were rushed to the Sonoma County Community Hospital in Santa Rosa, CA, only 8 - 10 miles north of Cotati.  Alden and Charles were examined and released to Adolph's boss and his wife - Nels and Milly Hammer - as they said they would take care of them.  Arvin, Adolph and I were all checked into the hospital for treatment.  Arvin and Adolph were in for almost a week, and I was in for six weeks.*  The deep burns caused one inch thick scabs on both my legs from my knees down to my ankles.

*according to the medical records, Adolph was in the hospital 16 days, Arvin was 22, and Hazel was there for 43 days.

We experienced several firsts living in the cabin.  It was the first place we had lived with a shower, instead of a bathtub.  It was our first experience with natural gas and with a gas hot water heater, so we didn't realize a pilot light and burner could ignite a fire when vapor was in the air.  We were finally all released from the hospital and back together in Cotati.  Charles didn't even know me when I got home!

...Arvin finished out the first grade.  We had sold our trailer, so when the end of school came, we loaded up the car and headed home to our house in Boyceville, Wisconsin!"

NOTE:  The photo is of the cabin that burned. 

Verse written and performed by friends and relatives to celebrate:

HMMMMMM:
25 years ago an event took place which we now all gather here to
commemorate (JoAnn - to celebrate)

Let me see - 'twas 53
Arvin he saw Beverly
And he said, come and be my gal.
(Alden - about 50 Ford)

Came the fall - Arvin didn't stall
Al and Pete each got a call
Come and help me wed this gal.
(JoAnn - about mangling)

September 2 - they said I do
Who tied the knot?
Not a smally, Pastor Wally
Down the aisle they did trot.
(Myrna - the car)

Where'd they go - we don't know
But the car was pretty slow
Off they went, He and his gal.

Moving here, moving there
Franz's, 4th street everywhere
Episcople church in view.
(Lorraine - church)

Baby one, was a son
Allan born in Williston
Family numbers 3 - not two.

Jobs were found around the town
Worked hard - all year
Moved from Willy back to town and
Started career with John Deere.

Here's number 2 named Cindy Lou
Look what the long green line can do.
Family's four, will there be more?
(LeRoy S - reminisce)

Back to school Bev did go,
Because she knew she needed an education.
(Myrna - Ellis' line doesn't rhyme, but it's the only thing he came up with all night)

Off they roam, a college home
Will put more knowledge in their domes
Fargo's tin hut's cold as Nome.

A degree and baby 3
Brent raised the score
Moving north to Grand Forks
All this came in '64.

Moving tarry, success story
Rice Lake was the territory
Out of state he took his gal.
(Allan - reminisce)

'67 moved once more
Arvin got the Minot store,
And Bev went back to school at State.
(Cindy - )

Burnsville now, Holy Cow;
Bet that really caused a row,
Isn't all this moving great.
(Lorraine - water around new house)
(Brent - )

'78 Celebrate
Move to Moline
Bev quit her job - the school scene
Packed again - like a machine

Final verse, could be worse
After hearing us rehearse,
Bet they wish they've never met...